The Latest Din Tai Fung

More than 2 years ago, I visited the first Din Tai Fung in KL for the launch of its new menu and to witness the preparation of the 18-fold Xiao Long Bao. Fast forward 2 years plus later, I have lost count on the number of times I visited Din Tai Fung, usually for the cute dumplings and my favourite la mian. Many have said that the original Din Tai Fung in Taiwan is much better than the one we have in KL, but I can’t comment since I have never been to the former. Still, that didn’t and wouldn’t stop me from visiting Din Tai Fung again especially when they have a new outlet at e@Curve! Hooray to those staying in BU/Kota Damansara.

Delicate Xiao Long Bao

The perfect accompaniment for XLB – Ginger and vinegar

The latest Din Tai Fung (DTF) is located at e@Curve, a prominent shop lot that you won’t miss even from afar. We were there during their soft launch to try out their items and service even before it’s open to the public. Being in a big group of 10, we fired our orders away, thinking that we would be kept waiting for the long list of food. Surprisingly, our order came within 15 minutes, and they came as fast as we could eat, if not faster. Mind you, that night the restaurant was full of invited guests of the owner, so we were not the only occupied table around. One word to describe their service – efficient!

Stewed Beancurd with Honey Sauce (RM7)

House Special Appetizer (RM4.50)

As with my previous visit, we tried some of their appetizer dishes from the menu, ranging from the cold dishes such to hot ones. I’m happy to report that my favourite appetizer dish of Stewed Beancurd with Honey Sauce still tasted as good as it was 2 years ago – juicy and savoury. The Taiwan Century Egg was very well-received too, with its rich and smooth yolk made from duck egg.

Spicy Jelly Fish (RM7.80)

Taiwan Century Egg (RM4.50)

From the hot appetizers, I loved the Spicy Pork Wanton, smothered in fiery hot chilli oil. The wanton skin was absolutely thin and smooth, while the fillings of pork and shrimp were succulent and generous. Top that with spicy chilli oil, you’ll have me smiling (and slurping) away.

Spicy Pork Wanton (RM10)

Spicy Vegetable Pork Wanton (RM9)

Deep Fried Shrimp Pork Wanton (RM10)

There’s a fair share of deep-fried items from the menu, with the prominent one being the Mango Shrimp Roll. This had a nice balance of flavour from the savoury shrimp and the sweet mango, coated with spring roll before being breaded and fried to crispy perfection. It is quite sizable too, definitely a dish meant for sharing.

Mango Shrimp Roll (RM8)

Of course, what would a visit to Din Tai Fung mean without trying their famous Xiao Long Bao? There are several varieties offered now, from Xiao Long Bao with crab meat to Xiao Long Bao with Truffle – there’s bound to be one that tickles your fancy. My favourite of all times is still and has always been the classic Xiao Long Bao – super thin skin wrapping succulent and juicy meat in a dollop of delicious broth. Top that with shreds of ginger and vinegar, and you’ll find yourself slurping and munching away at the same time, marveling the delicate work of art that goes into the preparation of each dumpling. It’s true, this is the reason why Din Tai Fung is popular.

Xiao Long Bao (RM11.80)

Shrimp and Pork Shao-mai (RM13.80/ 6pcs)

For something more exotic, we also tried the Truffle Xiao Long Bao, the addition of truffle evident from the darker bits blended within the meat inside. The flavour of truffle was strong and fragrant, but I’d like to think that it’s an acquired taste because I still found myself liking the original version after trying this.

Truffle Xiao Long Bao (RM36)

Truffle in Xiao Long Bao

Apart from the appetizers and Xiao Long Bao, we shared some of the more substantial dishes, including the wholesome House Steamed Chicken Soup, Shanghai Style Deep Fried Fish and Baby Green Beans with Minced Pork. If grandma was there with us, she would have given her nod of approval for the green beans – they were aromatic and flavourful, but on top of it all, they were young and fresh.

House Special Steamed Chicken Soup (RM13)

Baby Green Beans with Minced Pork (RM16)

Shanghai Style Deep Fried Fish (RM18.80)

At this point, we were already more than half full, but our orders of la mian (noodles) and rice had just arrived! That day, as with my previous visits, I ordered the Fragrant Spring Onion La Mian that had a pleasant aroma from the spring onion oil. Give it a good mix with the superior soya sauce and what you get is a bowl of springy noodles that are QQ and savoury. If I had to comment, I would have preferred the pork slices on top to be roasted (think siew yuk!) instead of boiled. That would be simply marvellous.

Fragrant Spring Onion La Mian (RM12.80)

Springy and aromatic – yum!

Cha Jiang La Mian (RM12.80)

Pork Chop

Shrimp Pork Fried Rice (RM15)

Last but not least, desserts! My 3 top picks from the menu would be the Mini Sesame Bun, Chilled Mango Pudding and Gui Ling Gao, in no particular order. The buns were especially fluffy and nice when eaten hot from the steamer. Each piece was filled generously with delicious black sesame paste that was not too sweet. The mango pudding was nice when it was still chilled, but somewhat lost its appeal when it warmed to room temperature. For Gui Ling Gao, we were given a bottle of honey to flavour it with, and I thought the taste of the sweet honey managed to compliment the slight bitterness of the Gui Ling Gao perfectly. This, I can definitely finish on my own.

Mini Sesame Bun (RM5.50)

Chilled Mango Pudding (RM7.80)

Gui Ling Gao (RM6.80)

That night, we ate and ate to our heart’s content. Great food, great environment and great service, there’s absolutely no reason we wouldn’t return again.

On the Star Sunday Metro

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About Iamthewitch

Hailing from the small tropical country of Malaysia, Mei Yee (iamthewitch) has a mission of leaving a mark in people’s heart by giving honest reviews on food, detailed guides on travel plans, and sharing her parenting journey with her newborn Little J. Currently stationed in the beautiful multicultural city of Sydney, Australia, she takes respite from her full-time engineering job by exploring new places to eat and traveling occasionally to neighbouring countries. There’s nothing in the world she loves more than delicious food! And of course, her 2 precious boys. ;) Read More…